Miter box



D. NEILSON June 14, 1960 MITERBOX Filed June 27, 1957 INVENTOR.

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ggnald Neilson United States Patent MITER BOX Donald Neilson, 2296 Cleveland St., Eugene, Oreg.

Filed June 27, 1957, Set. No. 668,542

4 Claims. (Cl. 143-6) My invention relates to an improved type of adjustable miter box particularly adapted for use with motorized saws.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide such type of miter box with means for resiliently clamping a board by a spring-pressed bottom follower lying within the passageway of the box so that said board may be gripped resiliently in the miter box and held squarely in contact with a guide rail, thus leaving both of the operators hands free to guide the saw.

A further object of my invention is to provide such type of miter box so that the operator can work from either side thereof, said box having a centrally disposed,

I longitudinal guide for engaging one edge of a board to be cut and with the other side open and unobstructed so that boards of substantial width may be accommodated therein.

A further object of my invention is to provide a miter box of this character which is adapted to be set to accommodate boards of-the same thickness so that they may be quickly, easily, and securely inserted .and held therein. To this end, the spring-pressed bottom follower is provided with an adjustable support at one end and a spring-bias operable upon the other end so that the board will be easily inserted into the miter box and securely held therein with the spring-biased end of the follower exerting a frictional grip against the under side of the board and with an overlying top defining a work plane normal to the saw guide.

A further object of my invention is to provide a saw guide which comprises a shelf-like structure for supporting a motorized saw and, while supporting it, to guide it accurately through a full transverse cut, said transverse cut being either normal to the major dimension of the board or at any selected oblique angle therewith.

A further and more specific object of my invention is to provide means for setting said saw guide at various angles with the major portions of a segment defined thereon and with pin-and-slot setting means for fixing the saw guide at any selected angle. Intermediate said main divisions of said circular guide, settings may be made and held by friction clasps for holding said guide securely in said intermediate positions.

Further and more detailed features of my invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a miter box embodying my invention, showing a board lying therein, said board being shown in dashed outline;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of said miter box with a board shown in dashed outline therein;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of said miter box taken from the end thereof in Fig. 2 lying adjacent said end elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a similar end view taken from the opposite end of said miter box.

A miter box embodying my invention comprises a base 1 constituting the bottom thereof and a horizontal guide element 2 lying above said base in spaced relation therewith and constituting a fixed top member for said miter box. In the embodiment shown in said drawings, 1 have provided a central, vertically disposed guide rail 3 which, with brackets 3a, joins said base and said horizontal guide element. Said guide rail 3 defines two passageways 411 along which a board 5 may slide endwise. Said passageways, as is shown in Fig. 1, are narrower than the Widest board which may be accommodated therein. Thus, a board in the uppermost passageway may extend laterally beyond said base and said horizontal guide element with one edge thereof bearing against the guide rail 3. As is shown in 'Figs. 3 and 4, said passageways lie at opposite sides of the miter box with their inner longitudinal margins defined by the opposite sides of the guide rail 3 and with their outer longitudinal edges open and uninterrupted.

Adjustably mounted within the space between the base and the horizontal guide element is a spring-pressed follower 6 which may be adjusted vertically by a longitudinally movable, obliquely disposed support member 7. Said support member is of rectangular cross-section and has a horizontal leg 7a with an upturned terminal end 7b at the forward end thereof and with an obliquely disposed leg 70 at the trailing or right-hand end thereof, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. A pair of strap members 8, spaced apart, encircle the horizontal leg 7a and provide a guideway through which said leg may be adjusted horizontally. A locking screw 9, with a wing nut 9a thereon, may secure the support member to said base.

Thus, when the support member is moved toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, it will engage the forward end of the follower 6 and move it into closer proximity to the undersurface of the horizontal element 2; and if it is moved to the left, it will permit said follower to move more closely toward the base 1. If a miterbox is constructed to accommodate that type of board normally used in building construction, namely, those one inch or less in thickness to two inches in thickness, when the follower is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 2, it will accommodate one-inch boards, and if it is moved toward the left as viewed in said figure, the follower is lowered to a position where it will accommodate twoinch boards.

The left-hand end of the follower is supported by a pivoted crank arm 10, having reversely formed ends 10a, pivotally supported in journals 11 aflixed to base .1. The other end, which is the right-hand end of said follower, is supported by a crank arm 12, as shown in Fig. 4, with a central depressed crank throw 12a and reversely bent ends 12b, which latter constitute pivot supports for said crank arm inasmuch as they are journalled in bearings '13 mounted upon the base '1. Resiliently joining the depressed crank arm 12a and the guide rail 3 is a coiled tension spring 14. Said spring tends to rotate the crank arm 12 counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, and thus resiliently supports the right-hand end of the follower 6, as viewed in said figure. Said crank arm is normally permitted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction until it bears against the undersurface of the horizontal guide element 2. When a board 5 is arranged in the miter box, it is forced into firm engagement with the undersurface of said board as shown in said Fig. 2. The springpressed follower 6 resiliently holds the board against-the undersurface of said guide element 2. The springpressed follower preferably is made in two halves, one lying at each side of the vertically disposed guide rail 3. They are preferably made of metal with an encircling journal pivotally engaging the crank arm 10 (see Fig. 3).

Pivotally mounted upon the horizontal guide element 2 is an elongated saw guide 15. It is supported upon a vertical pivot 16 extending upwardly from said horizontal aeaonaa g ide element .2. A semicircular inde i guide .1 i 7 carried by said saw guide '15 and is concentric with the axis of rotation about the vertical pivot 16. Around the peripheral edge of said semicircular saw guide are de-. scribeda plurality ofangular marks 18 These, preferably are varranged-from'zero .to 45 eachway from a midline 18a. Said -midline preferably indicates a setting of the saw guide normal orat90 with respect to the pairs of passageways 44a. A clip 19 surrounds theperipheral If the saw guide is to be fixed at some point beyond or intermediate the apertures 21, this may be done by screwing down the wingnut 22a to lock the semicircular guidef17 to the clip.

Thesaw guide 15 is provided with a broad, elongated upper surface 15a.

flange 15b. A motorized saw may rest upon said upper surface 15a, and its housing may bear against said flange 15b toserve as a guide while making a cut along the free edge 15c of said guide. Said upper surface thus provides ashelffor supporting the motorized saw and a guide for defining its path. 'Thus, the-operator may use both hands upon the saw to be assured that a cut made thereby will follow exactly the course defined by the edge of said flange/15b.

,My improved miter box operates as follows: A board to be sawed may be inserted from the left-hand side of the miter box, as viewed in Fig. 1, resting upon the journalled end 6a of the spring-pressed follower 6. Said end is held by the support 7 which has previously been preset to accommodate the exact thickness of such board. The other. end of said follower is free to drop, that is, move in a clockwise direction about the journal end 6a, .and thus a board-may easily be slid beneath the undersurface of the horizontal guide element 2. It projects through the miter box a distance such as is indicated in Fig. 1 so that the right-hand portion of the board, thus indicated, may be sawed at a desired angle. The

spring. 14 holds the board tightly against the underguide is'adjusted to proper angle and fixed there either by insertion of the pin in an aperture 21 or be tightening the friction-type locking screw 22. A motorized saw Ora hand sawvmay'then be used to make a cut as indicated m y be accommodated wholly within the ma ginal cu lines of said guide element 2 and the follower 6 which co-operates therewith.

The elongated saw guide 15 preferably is made of plywood or material easily sawed by a saw. The flange 15b, therefore, is preferably metal. Thus, a saw guide is originally provided ,is.,substan.-tially wider than need be for a particular salv'v'tob'e used therewith. Thus,

- when the saw is arrangl a lin cuttin sition with its base hearing. against said flange, one pass of the sawwill trim thefree edge lSc to proper widthfi'fhelateral spacing of i fr dge c ircmhefiau e-fib is not c i when r a motorized saw is used with the motor box, because the guide is the flange. It is desirable,-however, that the saw guide be made as wide as possible to provide a shelf or support for the saw so as to support the mass of said saw as it slides over the saw guide inmaking a cut or pass.

I claim;

1. An adjustable miter box for guiding saw cuts through elongated boards, comprising a box defining plural parallel passageways, separated by an elongated vertically disposed central guide rail which defines their inner On the left-hand side of saidsaw V guide, as viewed in Fig. l, is formed a straight-edged longitudinal edges, an elongated horizontaL-guide element overlying both of said passageways and defining a roof therefor, a follower having a spring bias, said follower lying in both of said passageways and adapted resiliently to support a board arranged in one of said passageways, and a saw guide .pivotally supported upon said horizontal guide element being rotatable about a vertical axis and having means for fixing it in any of a plurality ofseleoted positions transversely of said horizontal guide element,

7 'said saw. guide spanning both of said passageways.

2. An adjustable miter box for guiding saw cuts through elongated boards, comprising a box defining a passageway, an elongated horizontal guide element overlying said passageway and' defining a roof therefor, a follower having .a spring bias, said follower lying in said passageway and adapted resiliently to support a board arranged in said passageway, a saw guide piyotally supported upon said horizontal guide element being rotatable about a vertical axis and havingmeans forfixiug it 1 in any of a plurality of selected positions transversely of by arrows in Fig. 1. Sometimes it is desirable to work 7 from one edge of 'a board and sometimes from another. Also, leftand, right-handed persons saw with greater facility from one side than the other. Thus, a board may be placed in the passageway 4 and the saw guide 15 arranged asis indicated in Fig. 1. If it is more convenient ,to saw a board in the upper passageway 4a, the saw guide may be swung to a complementary angle through the use of the semicircular guide, and the angular marks '18 thereon, as isillustrated in Fig. 1, may be utilized as has heretofore been described. 7

As has been pointed out, the overhang of the horizontal guide element 2 and that of the base may be less than the width'of the board to be sawed. Such a wider board may extend: laterally beyond said parts, as is shown in Fig. Lhecause the space above the follower and below said horizontal guide element is free .and unrestricted. On the -other hand, with-a relatively narrow board, it

said horizontal guide element, and means for engaging one end onlyof said follower for holding said end at a preselected distance below said horizontal guide element thereby leaving the other end of-said follower supported yieldingly by its spring bias. a p

"3. An adjustable. miter box for guiding saw cuts through elongated boards, comprisinga box' defining a passageway, an elongated horizontal guide element overlying said passageway and defining a roof therefor, a follower having a' spring bias, said follower lying in said passageway and adapted resiliently to support a board arranged in said passageway, asaw guide pivotally supported upon said horizontal guide element being rotatable about a vertical axis and having means for fixing it in any of a plurality of selected positions transversely of said horizontal guide elemenhand a vertically'inclined slidable support for said follower for holding it at apreselected distance below said horizontal guide element.

4. An adjustable miter box for guiding saw cuts throughelongated boards, comprising a box defining a toresist inadvertent displacement of said board, and a I 3 saw guide pivotally supported upon said horizontal guide element being rotatable about a vertical axis and having means for fixing it in any of a plurality of selected positions transversely of said horizontal guide element, said saw guide being of substantial width and having a substantially plane upper surface having one straight edge for defining the cutting line for the saw and having a guide flange projecting upwardly from said substantially plane upper surface, spaced laterally from said straight edge, said saw guide constituting a horizontal supporting surface for a motorized saw to be used with said miter box, said saw guide adjacent said one straight edge being constructed of material readily cut by said motorized saw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 481,983 Thorn Sept. 6, 1892 2,655,956 Taylor Oct. 20, 1953 2,699,804 Starnes Ian. 18, 1955 2,739,624 Haddock Mar. 27, 1956 2,818,892 Price Jan. 7, 1958 

